BAK CHANG

Bak Chang, a Hokkien name 

for savoury dumplings

Of course, Cantonese have their version,

with added beans, 

green pea or black eye beans

My mom loves Bak Chang

She is 86 years old,

and a diabetic

Glutinous rice should definitely be out of her menu

Yet, at times she would take a spoon or two,

especially during a Festive Season 

Duan Wu Zei

These dried chestnuts need to be soaked overnight and cleaned

It is not easy to make dumplings 

It is time consuming

As many of the ingredients need to be soaked, 

and prepared before wrapping

Bamboo leaves and hempstrings

are soaked overnight  and cleaned

Ingredients:

1000g pulut rice (washed, soaked overnight & drained)

bamboo leaves & hempstrings (soaked overnight & cleaned)

chestnuts ( soaked until soft, cleaned & soaked overnight. Keep the water to fry rice)

500g pork belly, cut into bite sizes (20pcs)

10 salted egg yolk (halved)

20 dried shrimp (large size)

20 mushrooms (soaked overnight & cleaned)

2 tsp garlic, minced
oil for cooking (+sesame oil for flavour)

Seasoning:

2 tsp 5 spice powder

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tsp black soya sauce

4 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp oyster sauce

1) marinate pork with 1/2 of the seasoning

2) fry garlic in some oil (+ some sesame oil)

3) add shrimp, pork, mushroom & chestnuts

4) fry till half cooked, remove

5) fry rice with remaining seasoning

6) add soaking water of chestnuts

7) add more salt, oyster sauce and dark soya sauce if necessary 

8) wrap in bamboo leaves, can make 20 bak chang

9) add 1 tsp salt to boiling water
10) put in bak chang & cook for 4 hours, turning during half time

11) remove & drip dry

Duan Wu Jie falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar Calendar.  It is also known as Double Fifth Festival.

Celebration of Duan Wu Jie involves eating zhongzi or rice dumblings, and racing of dragon boats.  

This Festival is to commemorate the death of a Poet and a Minister, Qu Yuan.  He committed suicide by drowning himself when he was accused of treason.  The local people liked him very much and they raced their boats trying to save him.  This eventually became the dragon boat race that we have today.  

Finally, when they could not find Qu Yuan, they decided to throw sticky rice balls into the river for the fish to eat so that they would not eat the body of Qu Yuan.  This was how the zhongzi came about .

CRISPY KUIH BAHULU

Have been wanting to bake some crispy kuih bahulu

but many of the recipes I tried were

soft little zi dang kao

Gathering the informations from various bakers
I have finally arrived at this:

Crispy Kuih Bahulu

160g plain flour (replaced 1 Tbsp with rice flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 eggs, chilled

150g sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt

oil for brushing moulds

1) heat flours in the oven 150'C for 10min, turning half way, let cool

2) beat eggs, add sugar & salt, and beat until thick, pale & sticky

3) add vanilla

4) fold in sifted flours & baking soda (sifted together)

5) grease moulds generouly & heat up the moulds, must be very hot!

6) fill the kuih bahulu moulds until almost full

7) bake in preheated oven 180'C for 10-15 until golden brown

8) lift up kuih bahulu from moulds with a toothpick

9) clean moulds before the next batch, repeat No.5

10) store in airtight containers, can last for 2 weeks

Notes:
1) to make sure the moulds are well heated up before pouring
    in the batter. If not, the batter will stick to the moulds when baked.
2) When the mould get stuck with crumbs, clean the moulds!

Red Yeast Choco Cake

Wanted to bake a red velvet cake

using natural ingredients

instead of the 2 Tbsp of red colouring

I used red yeast, grounded into powder

dissolve in water

The colour did not turn out red

because the colour of cocoa dominated

Cake

275g sifted self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp red yeast powder

2 Tbsp water

8 oz butter

7 oz castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 cup milk

1) Sieve together all dry ingredients

2) dissolve red yeast powder in water

3) cream butter & sugar until light

4) add eggs, one at a time

5) add vanilla essence

6) fold in dry ingredients, add milk as required

7) bake in preheated oven 175'C for 30-35min

Cream Cheese Topping

6 oz butter

16 oz cream cheese

16 oz powdered sugar (sifted)

2 Tbsp milk ( needed only when cream is too stiff)

1) cream butter, add cream cheese

2) add sifted sugar when well combined

3) add milk if necessary

I did not make the cream cheese because I was quite disappointed with the

colour.  Will try again, adjusting the ingredients.

JUST FOR A LAUGH

Ethan came home from school, looking tired,

Ethan: Mama , my nose is tired .

Mama: You do look tired alright after a day in school,
            but why do you say your nose is tired too?

Ethan: because it was running whole day in school.

Ethan: Mama in which city do you live in?

Mama: Ipoh

Ethan: Do you know which city no one live?

Mama: Err ....

Ethan: give up?
Mama: Err, ok
Ethan: Electric city la....

Ethan: Learning Chinese is fun 

Hayley: yes it is

Ethan: Hayley's name is 'black pear'

Hayley: Ethan's name is 'one stool'

And we all laughed together

MANGO YOGHURT POPSICLES

Mango is in season now

This is the right time to freeze them for dessert

140g mango

150g yoghurt

70g milk

50g honey

1) Puree together all ingredients

2) fill into moulds or containers & freeze 5 hours

Recipe from: http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/

FRENCH-STYLE CRUSTY COUNTRY LOAF

This is indeed a shortcut to baking 

Sourdough Bread

Using sponge or poolish

takes a bit more time in baking

but 

definitely lesser time 

when compare with feeding the starter

Thanks to King Arthur Flour for the recipe

Sponge Starter

1 cup water

1/2 tsp instant yeast

1.25 cup King Arthur unbleached bread flour

1/4 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour

Stir together, cover & leave aside for 4-16 hrs

Dough

all of the above starter

1 cup water

1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3.5 cup King Arthur unbleached bread flour

1.5 tsp salt

1) Knead together & let rest 10min

2) knead again until smooth, cover and leave to rise until double

3) shape into 2 loaves, and place on parchment lined baking tray

4) leave aside to rise until almost double

5) preheat oven 250'C

6) slash loaf and spritz with water, immediately go into oven

7) reduce heat to 220'C and bake for 25-30min or well browned

8) spritz loaf several times,  within the first 15min of baking

TANGZHONG BUN

Tangzhong 
makes very soft buns

Butter, milk and egg contributed to its

texture and flavour

Tangzhong

50g bread flour

250ml water

1) mix flour & water and cook over medium heat, stirring

2) when you can see the bottom of pot while stirring, it is ready

3) leave to cool before using
4) can be kept in fridge for 2-3 days if not using yet

Buns

120g tangzhong

125ml milk 

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

30g butter

350g bread flour

7g milk powder

55g sugar

2 tsp yeast

1) Put all ingredients in bread machine, bread dough cycle 1:30min

2) shape, put buns on lined baking tray to rise until double

3) bake in preheated oven 175'C for 25min

Notes:

1) Tangzhong can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days

2) can replace flour in bun recipe with wholemeal flours, black rice flour,

     cooked quinnoa or  oats up to 50g

3) can brush top of buns with milk for softer top
4) I added 1 Tbsp chia seed while kneading

Note: If buns are arranged next to each other in a baking tray
           the sides of these buns when baked will be soft and tender

ONION SOURDOUGH BUNS

These buns are soft and spongy

If you like onions

these are definitely for you

The fragrant of onions fills the house

as you bake them

4 cups (560g) bread flour

3 Tbsp sugar

2.5 tsp salt

2 tsp dry yeast

1 cup milk

1 cup sourdough

30g soften butter

2 eggs (medium) or 1 large egg

1/4 cup chopped onions (pan fried)-either add during last 2 min of kneading

                                                                    or press into buns while shaping

                                                                    or sprinkle onto buns before baking

1) put all ingredients in the bread machine

2) bread dough cycle 1:30 hour

3) divide into 50g balls

4) place on greased pans to rise until double

5) bake in preheated oven @ 190'C for 20-25min until brown

With special thanks to Kenneth Foong
for this wonderfully active Sourdough

Before going into the oven

I pressed the onions into the buns as I shape them

DIM SUM PRAWN ROLLS

Dim Sum

little plates of food
prepared with the thoughts of the one eating and

cooked with lots of patience and 
overflowing love

Not so much at a time

but in such small portions

that you keep wanting more after each serving

Among the many dishes

Fried Prawn Rolls 

is definitely one that many people love

I found this recipe in herfrozenwings blog:

here 

250g large prawns (shelled, de-veined & cut into 3s)

1 tsp sugar

60g fish paste

2 water chestnut (peeled & chopped)

1/2 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken powder

a little pepper & sesame oil

spring onions, chopped 

1 large sheet dry soya bean curd skin, cut into 9cmX12cm

oil for deep frying

1) marinate prawn pieces with sugar, leave aside for 20min

2) add the rest of the ingredients & leave for at least 30min

3) wrap fillings in bean curd skin, seal with beaten egg

4) twist both ends to lock in the filling

5) deep fry until golden

6) serve hot, very crispy

FOOCHOW JINAU PAU PILLOW BUN

Foochow people have their way of 
making paus

Jinau Pau

in Foochow dialect is Pillow Bun

This is popular in Sitiawan

they are usually sold out before the sun goes down

soft and fluffy

and it will not stick to your teeth

These jinau pau are filled with

red bean paste

or 

ground peanuts,

both are just as good

If there are more layers of the filling

then it is called

ching aik koh

Of course the bun is very much taller

350g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp yeast

200g water, adjust accordingly

40g castor sugar

10g shortening/oil

200g red bean paste

1) combine all ingredients in bread machine

2) dough cycle 15min, and leave for 30min to rise

3) roll into 2 rectangle

4) place red bean paste on the dough & roll up like swiss roll

5) leave to rise 20-30min until double

6) steam from cold water for 20min

7) leave inside steamer for 5min before opening

Note:
I have replaced part of the water with blended pumpkin
to make these yellowish pillow pau